This invention relates to improvements in spinner-type fishing lures and to wire and cable fishing leaders that are used to attach a fishing lure or hook to the end of a fishing line. Artificial fishing lures are available in a wide variety of types, however, an exceedingly popular type of fishing lure is called the "spinner bait". This type of fishing lure emphasizes the use of a spinner to increase the attractiveness of the lure to fish. The spinner is normally formed as a substantially separate part of the lure, that is, the typical spinner bait is formed of a wire body having two arms that extend in a V-shape with the fishing line or leader attached to the wire body at the intersection of the two arms. The two arms, usually formed of a single length of stainless steel wire, extend at an acute angle relative to each other. The typical spinner bait has a body secured to one of the arms and a fish hook extending rearwardly from the body. The other arm of the spinner bait has one or more spinners attached to it. The typical spinner bait is designed so that when it is pulled through the water the spinner arm is vertically positioned above the body arm. A fish is attracted to the moving lure by the dramatic effect caused by the rotating, flashing spinners that rotate above the lure body which is fixed to, or is a part of, the frame body arm.
In recent years spinner baits have become exceedingly popular and have consumed, according to some reports, between 40 to 60% of the fresh water artificial bait market in the United States. The effectiveness of a spinner bait appears to reside in its ability to attract fish to the dressed hook. More specifically, the increased action, vibration, sound and flash produced by a spinner bait, compared to other types of artificial lures, seems to account for the spinner bait's success.
Substantially all of the spinner baits manufactured and sold in the United States and around the world today have a frame made of stainless steel wire which is a popular material for use in forming the frame of a spinner bait because of its ready availability, economy, strength and resistance to corrosion. However, spinner baits having a wire frame made of stainless steel have certain disadvantages and limitations and it is an objective of the present disclosure to provide an improved spinner bait having advantages that make the improved spinner bait substantially superior to commonly available spinner baits that are made with a stainless steel wire frame.
Another important item to fishermen is the leader by which a lure is attached to the end of a fishing line. Most fishing lines in use today are made of synthetic materials, including nylon monofilament, braided nylon and braided polyester. In the past, fishing lines were made of woven cotton, linen or silk, but upon the development and ready availability of extrudable polymers, the monofilament line has substantially replaced all other types of fishing lines.
In assembling a fishing rig, the fishing line is commonly attached to the fishing lure or hook using a fishing leader. Although some anglers attach the fishing lure or hook directly to the end of the fishing line, the more experienced anglers use a fishing leader between the fishing line and the lure in order to protect the fishing line from abrasion and fraying. In particular, monofilament fishing line can be damaged through engagement with a rock or other obstruction in the water, or from being cut or frayed by the teeth, fins or tail of a fish.
Conventional fishing leaders are formed using nylon monofilament or stainless steel wire or cable. Nylon monofilament is more supple than conventional metallic leaders, and further, is less visible and obtrusive, which is advantageous when attempting to attract fish. However, the same concerns that pertain to monofilament fishing line apply to nylon monofilament fishing leaders in that nylon monofilament is generally not as resistant to abrasion and fraying as is metallic wire or cable. Furthermore, the tensile strength of a particular diameter of nylon monofilament is typically less than the tensile strength of a metallic wire or cable of equal diameter.
Thus, high tensile strength metallic wire or cable is used in those instances when nylon monofilament is likely to fail, for example, when big-game fishing, fishing for sharp toothed fish or where the surrounding environment contains edged obstructions or heavy cover. Metallic leaders can be single-strand wire or multi-strand cable. Conventional metallic leaders are commonly constructed of stainless steel because of its high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, ready availability and economy.
A significant problem with conventional stainless steel wire and cable leaders, however, is that the leaders frequently become bent, kinked or spiralled. Once a stainless steel leader is bent or kinked, it is difficult to straighten, and moreover, attempts to repair the leader, can create cyclical stresses resulting in fatigue deformation and even mechanical failure. If a leader becomes bent or kinked during use, the angler could lose not only a hooked fish, but also the fishing tackle attached to the leader which can be expensive to replace. Consequently, a bent or kinked fishing leader must be replaced immediately which can be time consuming and infringe upon valuable fishing time. Also, it is difficult to accurately cast a kinked or spiralled fishing leader which can impede the ability of the angler to accurately place the fishing lure.
Conventional stainless steel leaders also fail to exhibit any significant elongation when subjected to the forces commonly associated with fishing, such as a strike or contact with an obstruction in the water. Consequently, conventional stainless steel leaders transfer the tension created by a hooked fish directly to the fishing line, thereby increasing the likelihood of exceeding the recommended tensile strength of the fishing line.
In seeking better materials for constructing fishing leaders, various combinations of synthetic materials and stainless steel wire or cable have been suggested. One such example of a fishing leader is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,305 to Christensen et al. which discloses a leader having a core of nylon multi-filaments surrounded by braided stainless steel fibers, all of which is covered by a nylon sheathing. Although coating a metallic wire or cable with nylon initially increases the suppleness of the leader, as the coating deteriorates with use, the cable leader becomes less resistant to kinking.
Thus, there is a need for improved materials for use in the construction of both fishing lures and fishing leaders. Such materials, when used in the construction of a fishing lure, must be flexible and have appreciable shape memory. Such materials, when used in the construction of a fishing leader, must be capable of resisting kinking, bending or spiraling, yet be flexible so as not to significantly affect the action of the fishing lure. These materials should also have a relatively high tensile strength and be resistant to corrosion.